Dovedale?

[bran goesgoch]

I'm contemplating doing a walk in the Dovedale area of the Peak District, can anyone tell me of a good starting point/car park i.e OS grid reference. Better still could anyone recommend a good route of approx ten miles, height gain wouldn’t be a problem. Cheers .

[Richard G.]

Main carpark is at SK146509, there's also limited parking at Milldale.

Most people just bimble up to Milldale, have an ice cream and bimble back, which is nice and there's plenty of interest in the Dale in terms of geology, Twelve Apostles, Reynard's Cave etc, though the vegetation is quite thick and can make these things a little hard to explore.

The wildlife is also a little limited I've found, probably because of the volume of people passing through, maybe mid-week in the winter it might be quieter, I don't know?

As a slight alternative to just following the crowds, you could head West from the car park across fileds and shirt around Bunster Hill, then up to Dovedale Wood, I've found it to be quieter here. You could also then explore Hall Dale, before crossing more fields to Milldale and return down the length of Dovedale. I'd also recommend a pull up Thorp Cloud at the end; just short of 8 miles with 2200ft of ascent for that route.

[Richard G.]

Also meant to say, it's worth a short visit to Ilam and the Hall too. Maybe even a stroll about the woods there, lovely little place, you might even see a dry stone wall I had a hand in building

[bran goesgoch]

Thank you Richard, info duly logged. I like the sound if the Thorp Cloud route, ticks all the right boxes.

[Johnny Redgate]

I've always like the nearby Manifold valley as well. Especially walking down the dry river bed - a walk my Dad showed me many years ago. As the weather begins to dry from Spring onwards the flowing water begins to disappear undeground further and further upstream towards Wetton Mill. Can be tough going over the boulders in the river bed but look out for the fossil crinoids known locally as Derbyshire screws (at least that's what my Dad told me).

[captain nodge]

And you can stop off for a nice cup o tea and a yummy cheese filled oatcake at the tea rooms halfway down the track, nice people by the way

[FoxtonWildlifeRescue]

The route I used to take with my old lab Murphy was to go over Bunster and take a right at the farm through the NT Dove Cottage. Then there was a steep descent through woods down to the river emerging near the footbridge. From there we would go through Hall Dale to Stanshope and then across to Alstonfield (nice pub there). Then drop down to Milldale and along the Dove back to the carpark - about 10 miles.

This route should be obvious on an OS map. The upper section from Hartington is also quite nice, as is Monsaldale and better still - Cheedale near Buxton although it may be impassable at the mo with flooding.

[Cymbalaria]

Have you been there yet?

I used to live quite near there so I was able to visit at quiet times, which was fantastic (its awful on a Bank Hol!). Great memories of watching a heron fishing, photographing a water vole, admiring icicles emerging from the cliffs, climbing through mist to the top of Thorpe Cloud and seeing spectacular views over a cloud inversion...

Enjoy!

[bran goesgoch]

Originally Posted by Cymbalaria

Have you been there yet?

I used to live quite near there so I was able to visit at quiet times, which was fantastic (its awful on a Bank Hol!). Great memories of watching a heron fishing, photographing a water vole, admiring icicles emerging from the cliffs, climbing through mist to the top of Thorpe Cloud and seeing spectacular views over a cloud inversion...

Enjoy!

Hi Cymbalaria, No, i haven't visited this area yet and after doing a little bit of research i think i might see it at it's best if i was to leave it for the Spring time. I'll do a trip report to include some pic's though when i do get to visiting the area. So watch this space.

[eigg head]

Well, look out for those coins....
Went up Thorpe Cloud last Saturday, even in the mist there was a good view across the dale and also down to the thronging masses by the (impassable) stepping stones.
Any of the valleys that head out of Dovedale are worth exploring. I particularly like dropping down into Littondale (completely quiet) from Alstonfield then heading down the river.
The steep road out of Ilam all the way up to Calton is worth exploring - great views of typical White Peak scenery and hill top copses. Nearby Musgrave Wood is an undiscovered place, but the path can be very muddy and overgrown - I once found a perfect long tailed tit nest there.
In Lathkilldale there are now signs saying that public pressure is affecting dipper numbers, so that may be the case in Dovedale too, thoough we saw three or four there last Sat.